Wine tourism is changing its shape and winning over Italians’ summer holidays. It is no longer wine alone that motivates travel, but rather the ability of destinations to combine landscape, gastronomy, culture and hospitality into a complete experience. This is the main finding of the new report, “Italians and Wine Tourism Experiences”, prepared by Roberta Garibaldi in collaboration with Ascovilo and The Data Appeal Company, which highlights rapidly growing demand increasingly oriented towards coastal destinations. Leading the ranking of dream destinations are Cinque Terre and Salento, while four of the top five most sought-after wine tourism destinations are located either on the coast or in close proximity to the sea.
Wine Tourism in Italy Is Growing and Involves 18 Million Italians
The data describe a phenomenon that has now become an integral part of Italians’ travel habits.
Food and wine tourism currently involves approximately 18 million people, an increase of 4.5 million compared with 2024.
This growth confirms that wine is no longer perceived exclusively as the main motivation for a specialist holiday, but rather as an element capable of enriching broader and more diversified travel experiences.
In this context, winery visits, tastings and vineyard dinners become opportunities to discover territories that integrate perfectly with seaside tourism, encouraging visitors to move from the coastline towards rural inland areas.
Cinque Terre and Salento Dominate the Summer 2026 Wine Tourism Wish List
The geography of preferences reveals a significant transformation.
Cinque Terre and Salento emerge as the most desired wine tourism destinations among Italians, both selected by 20% of respondents.
They are followed by:
- Chianti: 19%
- Amalfi Coast: 18%
- Etna: 18%
- Montepulciano: 16%
- Montalcino: 15%
- Langhe-Barolo: 14%
- Gallura: 14%
The most significant finding is that four of the top five destinations are located on the coast or near the sea, highlighting a growing integration between beach holidays and wine-related experiences.
Landscape Overtakes Wine Reputation
One of the most interesting aspects to emerge from the report concerns tourists’ selection criteria.
When choosing a wine tourism destination:
- Value for money is cited by 76% of Italians.
- The beauty of the rural landscape follows immediately at 75%.
- Geographical proximity ranks third at 65%.
Even more surprising are the factors influencing the choice of a specific winery.
The beauty of the rural landscape becomes the leading criterion, with 73% of preferences, ahead of:
- Value for money: 72%
- Proximity: 63%
The quality and reputation of the wine itself stop at 60%, signalling an important cultural shift: contemporary tourists select wineries as part of a broader territorial experience, not simply for the label they produce.
Tastings and Dining Drive the Growth of Italian Wine Tourism
The integration of wine and gastronomy is profoundly reshaping the structure of wine tourism experiences.
Cellar tastings attracted 64% of Italian wine tourists, compared with 49% in 2024.
Winery visits also recorded significant growth, rising from 32% to 46%.
The experience is becoming longer and more comprehensive:
- 24% of wine tourists chose wineries equipped with restaurants.
- 19% participated in gourmet food experiences paired with estate wines.
Digital reputation confirms this trend.
According to the analysis conducted with The Data Appeal Company, the restaurant sector accounts for 43.2% of the 4.6 million digital traces collected across the monitored wine tourism destinations.
The theme of food achieved a Semantic Rating of 92 out of 100, making it one of the most appreciated aspects of the overall experience.
Between Desire and Satisfaction: Langhe and Chianti Remain Reputation Leaders
Alongside the ranking of the most desired destinations emerges a second ranking based on visitor satisfaction.
In 2025, digital sentiment leadership belonged to:
- Langhe-Barolo – 89.7/100
- Chianti – 89.5/100
- Montalcino – 89.3/100
- Valdobbiadene – 89.0/100
- Bolgheri – 88.6/100
The comparison suggests the existence of two complementary dynamics.
On one side, coastal destinations attract new groups of visitors thanks to their strong emotional appeal. On the other, more established wine tourism territories maintain a competitive advantage based on reputation, perceived quality and the organisation of their hospitality systems.
Sunset Tastings, Concerts and Vineyard Dinners Lead New Wine Tourism Experiences
The wine tourism summer season is increasingly focused on experiential formats.
Among Italian travellers:
- 18% participated in wine festivals and wine-related events.
- 16% took part in sunset tastings in vineyards.
- 10% enjoyed candlelit dinners among the vines.
- 10% purchased wine-themed romantic experiences.
- 8% attended concerts or music events hosted at wineries.
These represent the experiences showing the greatest growth potential in future travel intentions.
Wine Harvest Tourism Still Has Untapped Potential
The situation is different when it comes to participatory harvest experiences.
Only 9% of respondents say they have already experienced a day as a vineyard worker, and consumers still appear to have a limited perception of the economic value of such activities.
- 72% would not be willing to spend more than €40 for the experience.
- Nearly half would remain below €20.
The figures highlight a gap between the organisational complexity required for these activities and the value consumers currently attribute to them.
Wine Generates More Value Than Seaside Tourism
According to estimates cited in the report, a visit linked to food and wine tourism generates an average of €151.7 in added value.
This exceeds:
- The national tourism average: €144
- Cultural tourism: €145
- Mountain tourism: €140.7
- Seaside tourism: €128.2
The difference compared with beach tourism reaches €23.5 per visitor, equivalent to approximately 18% more value generated.
Food and wine tourism therefore confirms itself as the leisure segment with the strongest capacity to generate economic value, simultaneously involving agriculture, hospitality, retail, craftsmanship and services.
Roberta Garibaldi: “The Winery Must Become a Natural Stop on an Italian Holiday”
Roberta Garibaldi summarised the findings of the research:
“These data reveal two complementary maps: the map of desire, which in the Italian summer increasingly looks towards the sea, and the map of reputation, still led by territories that have built mature wine tourism systems over time. We should not choose between seaside tourism and wine tourism; we should use wine and gastronomy to enrich holidays, distribute visitors between coast and countryside, and increase the value generated by each visitor. The August data remind us, however, that attracting visitors is not enough. We need services capable of handling peak periods, differentiated experiences, pricing consistent with the quality offered, clear information and easy booking systems, even while travelling. The winery must become a natural stop during an Italian holiday, not an experience that is difficult to find or purchase.”
The Future of Italian Wine Tourism Lies in Experiences
The report highlights a transformation that is now unmistakable: wine is no longer merely the protagonist in the glass, but a key element in building complete tourism experiences.
Sea, landscape, cuisine and territory increasingly coexist within the same holiday.
And while Cinque Terre and Salento currently represent the strongest aspirations among Italian travellers, the most organised wine territories continue to demonstrate that the quality of the experience remains the key factor in transforming interest into satisfaction.
The next challenge for Italian wine tourism will therefore not simply be attracting visitors, but turning every winery into a place capable of telling the story of its territory and generating long-term value for the entire destination.
